ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, on Sunday, condemned the arrest of women in the western Herat province of the country for the alleged non-compliance with the Taliban-imposed dress requirements.
In a statement posted on X, he termed the arrest of ladies in Herat as part of a systematic policy to eliminate women from the Afghan society, deprive them of fundamental freedoms, and humiliate their human dignity.
The statement added that Faiq termed the arrest of women because of their appearance or choice of clothing as not about protecting religion or values.
"Instead, it is a tool of repression, intimidation, and the spread of fear throughout society," the statement added.
Afghan media reported that the Taliban authorities arrested at least 40 women in the western Herat province for not wearing what the religious group terms as "proper dress."
Faiq, who was appointed to the UN by the former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government, further said that the detention of women by the Taliban’s morality police under the pretext of “improper Hijab” is neither consistent with Islamic principles and values nor with the culture and traditions of the Afghan people.
The envoy, who is retained in the UN for non-recognition of the Taliban government on the international level, also cited what he described as numerous documented reports of violent treatment of women in detention, including harassment, sexual assault, and forced marriages.
The statement further quoted Faiq saying that allegations have not been investigated transparently and that those responsible have not been held accountable.
Questioning the Taliban's justification for the arrests, Faiq said, "How do the Taliban's enforcers consider themselves guardians when they forcibly detain and transfer women in the streets and markets?"
Faiq characterized the measures as "inhumane", "unlawful," and "un-Islamic" and condemned them.
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